


.But it Pours

by dsa_archivist



Category: due South
Genre: Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1999-06-01
Updated: 1999-06-01
Packaged: 2018-11-10 10:06:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11124942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dsa_archivist/pseuds/dsa_archivist
Summary: Ben rescues a young girl after a MVA and gets more than he bargained for... This story is a sequel to It Never Rains..





	.But it Pours

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Speranza, the archivist: this story was once archived at [Due South Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Due_South_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Due South Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/duesoutharchive).

But it Pours

# .....But it Pours

Tor Spencer walked down a back alley in a down market part of Chicago. She looked at the scrap of paper that the mounty had placed in her hand before she left, could a guy like that, live in an area like this? Three months had passed since Ben and Ray had spent two nights in her cabin and their meeting had catalysed another change in her life. She realised that she was once again ready to face reality. She realised that she couldn't live as she was forever and that she needed to get a life. She also realised she missed her job desperately. So now she was going back, not to Britain, but to the real world. Now she would run towards someone rather than away... Now she was on his trail, she needed to see him again, once more would be enough. 

She turned the corner and walked on a couple of blocks, an abundance of emotions welled in her body and then she was suddenly faced with a large square of .... nothing. She looked at the paper again, and then at the abyss where the building should have been. She walked back to the previous building and checked the paper once more. Yup she was in the right place, there was just no building there. He couldn't have given her a false address, what would have been the point? Yet the facts were staring her in the face. Tears stung her eyes - betrayed again? 

*Chicago P.D.* she thought, pulling herself together, hope flooded in to her body. "Worth a try," she spoke aloud to herself and sniffed back the tears. 

She managed to hail a cab after walking a couple of blocks. The cab dropped her at the police precinct. She took a deep breath and climbed the steps which led into the building. She spoke to the civilian behind the front desk "Ray Vecchio?" she pointed down a narrow passageway. Tor smiled a 'thank you' and followed the indicated path. It led into a room filled with desks. A slim woman was filing records, 'Ms Francesca Vecchio' her badge said. 

"Hi, can I help you?" she said. 

"I don't know, I'm looking for Ray Vecchio.. I think he works here, your brother?" 

"Yeah he's my brother... He's over there." There was something strange in her voice but she pointed to a guy at the other side of the squad room. She looked at the man. He was blonde and had dark rimmed spectacles, and looked nothing like the green eyed Italian. 

"Oh I see," said Tor, so they made the *whole* thing up. "Just out of interest does he hang round with a Mounty? " 

"Yeah, Benton Fraser. " 

"Umm it all makes sense now..." She said without thinking and then, "Thank you Frannie," she said without thinking, "you have been very enlightening." 

*Weird woman* thought Frannie. 

Tor looked once again at Ray Vecchio... and smiled. *So they were complete frauds then. Stolen these guys identities, I wonder what Ben really looks like, - probably a red head,* she mused. It all suddenly made so much sense. She wondered for a split second if they were fugitives but decided that that would be too fanciful... probably just two guys cheating on their wives. She adjusted the shoulder strap of her bag on her shoulder, read the note once more, sighed, dropped the scrap of paper in the waste paper basket by the door and, subconsciously, turned the page and closed that chapter of her life. 

******  
Five years later. 

Benton Fraser RMCP ran down the street. Oh God, he was too late. The BMW slammed into the little girl's side, before speeding away. He looked down at the crumpled bundle and shouted at the detective to call an ambulance. He needn't have bothered Ray had already dialled the number. Fraser folded beside the small body and pressed his fingers into her neck. He felt the pulse regular but weak. 

"She's alive, Ray." 

Lights whirled, sirens blared, brakes screeched. The paramedics jumped from the cab shouting 

"Don't move her." 

"Do I look stupid? " Ray snapped. 

"Calm down Ray they're just protecting the child." 

"Yeah I know... sorry." he felt really low. 

"Oh my God, Oh my God... shit oh my God... is she dead... baby hold on..."The woman ran from the sidewalk to the child's side. "I just turned my back for half a second and she was gone... oh my God what am I going to tell her mother?" The woman was obviously distraught. 

" I'm sorry Ma'am you will have to step back we have to treat her." the paramedic knelt beside the girl. "Get the board and a brown line. " The paramedic shouted to his companion. Benton and Ray assisted the medics to transfer her onto the board and venous access was quickly obtained. 

"Can I come with her... I'm supposed to be responsible for her... Huh that's a joke... Oh God I wish it was me on that board what am I going to tell her mother..." The woman, obviously in shock, rambled on. 

Benton took her elbow and assisted her into the back of the ambulance. 

With the young girl and her companion safely in the ambulance Ray gestured to Ben and Ben jumped in the front of the ambulance next to the driver, Ray would follow in his car. 

************ 

_BEEEP.... BEEEP..... BEEEP .... BEEEP_

Tor sat up, rubbed her eyes and tried to focus on the panel on the top of her pager. Recognising the number she climbed of the couch, scattering papers as she went and slammed through her office door. She checked her watch as she ran... 'God its almost lunch time, I'm getting too old for this,' she spoke aloud as she ran and a young orderly shouted after her "You don't look old to me." 

"Thanks Jack," she replied smiling to herself as she ran down the stairs two at a time. Crashing through the trauma room doors, she shouted "OK what have you got for me?" 

"MVA, hit and run, BMW verses young girl ... about five we think, woman with her wasn't terribly 'compus mentus'. Hit from the side. GCS of 9, diminished breath sounds on the right.. tachy 130... pulse weak and thready, BP 80 over zip, given oxygen and normal fluid on the way." 

Tor looked down at the crumpled body and felt sick... her body crumpled and she took a step backwards before turning and throwing up. A nurse grabbed her as her knees buckled.... 

"It's my daughter... " Her voice was barely audible. "It's my daughter. " she repeated. 

She shook her head and wiped her face... "Get Benton in here fast... I can't treat her it's not ethical... GET BENTON NOW... BENTON!" she hollered down the hall. 

Benton Fraser recognised the voice immediately, he had thought of her everyday and she was calling him. He walked forward unable to believe that he had found her, he went towards the swing doors and opened them. 

A tall man pushed past the mounty "You can't come in here..." he added abruptly as he slammed through the door. Peter Benton spoke quickly "Give me the bullet." 

"MVA, hit and run, BMW verses young girl ... she's four, Hit from the side. GCS of 9, diminished breath sounds on the right.. tachy 130... pulse weak and thready, BP 80 over zip, given oxygen and normal fluid on the way, portable x-ray ordered.... and Peter.. she's my daughter, please don't....." 

"We're not going to .." The surgeon laid a hand on her arm for the briefest second before turning back to his patient... 

"OK people let's work," he wielded a stethoscope, "OK we've got a pneumo on the right let's do a chest drain.... come on people quickly..." He pushed the canula between her ribs before once again placing a stethoscope on her chest. "Good, breath sounds, both sides equal, trachea's central... she looks pretty shocked, lets get an abdo. levage and usual bloods, come on people we got a vested interest in this one..." 

The surgeon placed a tube into the girl's abdomen piped in the fluid into the cavity. It drained out blood stained "Positive tap, let's move people we need a theatre now and cross match for 6.. no make it 8 units." They wheeled her to the elevator and then she was gone. 

"She's A positive" Tor shouted after them then sank to the floor and just cried. Benton Fraser watched her through the window in the swing doors. He made a decision and walked through them. 

"Tor," he spoke quietly. 

She blinked, she recognised that voice but, no it couldn't be, not now. She looked round and saw him stood tall in a brown uniform. "Ben?" 

"Long time no see... " Ben responded and then "Do you cry like this for all your patients?" 

And then it struck her - how angry she was at him - inspite of everything. "What the fuck are you doing here anyway.... ?" 

"I found her, " he spoke slowly not really understanding her anger. "I'm sorry if my presence upsets you." 

"It does..." 

"I missed you..." 

"Oh yeah I believe that... a warm bed for the night, an easy screw and a good laugh with your mate Ray.. or whatever his name *really* is... well I hope you enjoyed yourself." 

"What do you mean by that... 'whatever his name really is?'" 

"I mean when I came to Chicago I tried to look you up but no.... no flat...sorry apartment.... just a parking lot or something... and certainly no green eyed Italian at the precinct, just some good looking blonde guy.... I mean what was the note about?... supposed to make me feel better... or just make you look good... oh just fuck off I'm not in the mood.. oh God why now?" 

Ben understood... it did seem a little far fetched when you saw it through her eyes. 

"No wonder that other Victoria tried to kill you " she drove the dagger home. 

Ben flinched. "I can explain it all.... I know it will seem far fetched but I can explain it all... the 'good looking blonde guy' will back me up... but I still don't get why your quite this upset about the girl... I mean you must see this everyday, how can you do your job if it effects you this much?" 

"It doesn't effect me like this most of the time, " tears fell down her cheeks "but then most of the time it's not my daughter on the table." 

Ben's face fell, his heart sank, he said nothing but sat behind her and took her into his arms and cradled her rocking her back and forth slowly.... His mind wandered and suddenly a thought dawned on him.. "She's mine too." he said it before thinking but she had been expecting it and nodded slowly. "Yes she's yours, ours." 

Ben didn't know how to feel... he was suddenly a father, he'd found her at last, and his newly discovered daughter was in a critical state. He held Tor close and a single tear rolled down his cheek. They sat there not speaking, not moving, hardly breathing, minds both in turmoil. 

"Tor, you OK... " a doctor walked through the door... 

"Definition of OK?" Tor asked... "yeah John... as 'OK' as I can be." 

"Look Anna's outside she's in a real state ... do you want to see her?" 

"Yeah I suppose I'd better... Is she blaming herself?" 

Carter said nothing but cocked his head to one side and raised an eyebrow, hinting at the affirmative before looking at Ben in a questioning manner. 

"John Carter, a colleague... Benton Fraser RMCP ... Beth's Father." 

"Beth," Ben repeated, hearing his daughter's name for the first time. 

" Elizabeth Caroline, after our mothers." Tor explained. "I'll speak to Anna before I hear if she's.... how she's.... any news, I don't know if I could be kind if she's...." she couldn't finish the sentence. She left the room and went in search of her friend. 

******* 

"Look Anna, I know, She's a handful, she wanders off.... I don't blame you....really... if she .... if we hear the worse we will get through it together... Oh God I hope she makes it." 

"The guy who found her was a mounty.... Odd really when you think about it... given the story her father told you... sort of ironic or something....shit I'm sorry this is insensitive of me... I'm sorry when I'm scared I just keep talking I can't help it it's ju......" 

"He is her father." Tor cut in. She was staring straight ahead not looking at her friend. 

"What did you say?" Anna enquired not believing her ears. 

"He IS her father." 

*****  
An hour or so later. 

The doors burst open and Dr. Benton rushed in, Tor looked up to him expectantly. "She's still alive, she's not out of the woods yet but if she's anything like her mom she'll pull through. We had to do a splenectomy,and a couple of cracked ribs.. but she's a lucky girl no other serious damage.... we hope.... she lost a lot of blood........There is however, as I'm sure you realise, a risk of brain damage with any serious blood loss... but we're optimistic... she's already proved she's a fighter." 

"I'm going to see her... she's in PICU?" Tor asked. 

The surgeon nodded. 

She stood up and walked out the door. Fraser was sat on a plastic chair in the corridor, stetson in hand, head hanging. Tor touched him on the shoulder and he jumped as if electrocuted he looked up at her expectantly. "She's alive, I'm going to see her now. " The anger in her voice had gone, she knew now that he hadn't lied to her, that he was also a victim of circumstance, she didn't know how she knew, she just did. She knew that this man was back in her life for the time being at least and that was all she could ask of anyone. "Do you mind if we don't tell her who you are for the moment... she's been through enough for now... " 

Benton shook his head signalling that he didn't mind and for the moment he was content just to be there. 

PCU was uncomfortably warm. There were four beds in the small room and Beth lay in the cot next to the nurses' station. 

"Come and meet Beth, Ben." 

The little girl lay motionless. She had an oxygen mask on and a drip was fastened to each arm. Tor sat on the chair next to the bed and Ben stood behind her. "Hello darling, Mummy's here... everything's going to be alright... Uncle Peter's fixed you up, made you all better." she spoke in a soothing voice and stroked the little girl's long dark curls . 

Beth opened her eyes and looked at her mother. 

"My tummy hurts... it hurts a lot" The words were very quiet and mumbled but her mother understood every syllable. She signalled to a nurse and said " Can we get her a pump...please, she's in pain." 

"I'll see what I can do, I'll have to get another doctor to sign off on it though." 

"Then do it... Peter will do it or John... Find someone, I'm staying here so if anything happens I'll deal with it." 

"OK Tor, I'll sort it." 

"She's beautiful." Ben spoke for the first time. "She looks so helpless. Is there anything I can do?" 

"How about sticking around for a while, this time." her words were cutting. 

"Hey, you never told me ...anything..." he felt that her accusation was unfair and was feeling the anger, at the unfairness of the whole sordid situation, growling in the pit of his stomach. "I didn't know... I came back to find you and you had gone, no forwarding address - nothing, I found the cabin all boarded up and the horses gone. The old couple in the store a few kilometers down the track said they didn't know where you had gone, I figured you didn't want to be found. As for my apartment... It burnt down and as for Ray .. well that's a long story. I've thought about you everyday... you can't know.... And now I find that I have a daughter and that she might ... " 

"I'm sorry, I'm just not at my best at the moment," she interjecting not wanting Ben to finish that sentence. 

"I'm sorry too. I'm here as long as you need me... as long as she needs me." 

"You mean that don't you?" Tor looked into Ben's eyes. He meant every word. 

"Always." 

Beth opened her eyes and shuffled in her bed, trying to sit up. 

"Tummy hurts." she stated simply, rubbing her eyes, the sedative was wearing off. 

"I know the nurse has gone to get something to make that all better." 

Beth seemed to accept this and looked round the room. "Who's that?" she asked as her blue eyes met with Ben's. 

"That's your Daddy." Tor spoke slowly, hoping the words would sink in. 

"Oh." was the only response they received and the little girl curled up and went back to sleep. 

"She's one of few words." Ben put his hand on Tor's shoulder, tears in his eyes, smiling with pride. 

"Just like her daddy," Tor added smiling up at Beth's father. 

"Yes... just like her daddy." 

THE END... Comments always appreciated to vicki@telinco.co.uk 


End file.
